US5177663A - Multilayer discoidal capacitors - Google Patents

Abstract

A multilayer discoidal capacitor having a plurality of laterally spaced, planar electrodes disposed within a dielectric body and configured such that the capacitance characteristic of the capacitor is determined at least in part by the concentrated charge distribution in the "stray" electric fields arising between the edges of the electrodes and at least one cylindrical electrode extending perpendicularly to the planar electrodes.

Description

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to multilayer discoidal capacitors.

Multilayer discoidal capacitors are used, for example, to suppress electrical interference on signal and power lines. Each capacitor is constructed from appropriate ceramic materials depending on requirements and has a typical construction as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, wherein a plurality of first parallel,annular electrodes 53 are embedded within a cylindrical mass ofdielectric material 55 and are connected at their inner edges to an innercylindrical metallization 51, and a plurality of second,annular electrodes 54 are embedded within thedielectric material 55 and are connected at their outer edges to an outercylindrical metallization 52.

The total capacitance is the sum of the parallel plate capacitors between each electrode pair. ##EQU1## where εo=permittivity of free space

εr=dielectric constant

A=area of overlap

d=separation of electrodes.

The disc construction is similar to that of multilayer chip capacitors. Their unique application requires the discoidal configuration, firstly, because the central electrode leads to a low inductance path and secondly, for ease of mechanical handling.

The requirement for capacitors having a smaller outside diameter offers substantial advantages and is in frequent demand by users. This demand leads to changes in the design of the disc in order to accommodate the same capacitance in a lower volume.

The three variable parameters in equation (1) are εr, A and d. εr is limited by temperature requirements on the temperature coefficient of capacitance, and unless this is changed, it can be regarded as fixed. The separation d is limited by breakdown voltage requirements. The area A can only be increased by increasing the number of electrodes, hence making the height of the disc larger, or by reducing the distance from the edge of the electrode to the opposing termination, which increases production alignment problems.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in multilayer discoidal capacitors.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multilayer discoidal capacitor having a plurality of laterally spaced planar electrodes disposed within a dielectric body and configured such that the capacitance characteristic of the capacitor is determined at least in part by the concentrated charge distribution in the "stray" electric fields arising at edges of the electrodes, and wherein the capacitance characteristic of the capacitor is determined at least in part by the "stray" electric fields arising between the edges of the electrodes and at least one cylindrical electrode extending perpendicularly to the planar electrodes.

Preferably said at least one cylindrical electrode extends through the dielectrode body, the planar electrodes having at least one corresponding region of discontinuity which surrounds said cylindrical electrode so that there exists between each planar electrode and the cylindrical electrode an annular separation.

Advantageously, the or each said cylindrical electrode is formed by metallising the wall of a cylindrical hole in the dielectrode body.

In other embodiments, the cylindrical electrode which extends perpendicularly to the planar electrodes can be located around a peripheral edge of the dielectric body, the outer peripheries of the planar electrodes terminating within the dielectric body so as to be separated from said cylindrical electrode.

By way of example only, specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1a is a longitudinal cross-section of one embodiment of a multilayer discoidal capacitor in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 1b is a partial longitudinal cross-section of a modified version of a multi-layer discoidal capacitor of FIG. 1a;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of a further embodiment of a multi-layer discoidal capacitor in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section of a still further embodiment of a multi-layer discoidal capacitor in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-section of a discoidal capacitor of the prior art;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section through the line y--y of the capacitor in FIG. 4 of the prior art, and

FIG. 6 shows schematically the production of a "stray" electric field of the type used in the present invention.

A multilayerdiscoidal capacitor 50 of the prior art is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 and comprises a body ofdielectric material 55 of annular cross-section having coaxial inner and outermetallised terminations 51 and 52, respectively, and electrodes in the form of annular discs, theinner electrodes 53 being in electrical contact with theinner termination 51 and theouter electrodes 54 being in contact with theouter termination 52.

If the outer and inner terminations are oppositely polarised, then opposing charges will develop on the attached respective outer and inner electrodes. Charge is then distributed over the area of overlap, which is maximised between each pair of inner and outer electrodes. This is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 6.

In order to address the challenge of higher capacitance per unit volume and to give tight control over the spread of capacitance values, use is made in the present invention of "stray" electric fields. An example of a "stray" electric field of the type used by the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 6. As explained hereinafter, the invention makes use of the "stray" electric field from the edge of conductors rather than trying to achieve a parallel plate capacitor.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the illustrated embodiment in accordance with the present invention comprises adiscoidal body 20 of dielectric (ceramic) material having a plurality ofmetallic disc electrodes 22 disposed therewithin in spaced parallel planes. Theceramic body 20 contains a plurality of through-holes 24 which are coated metallically so as, in effect, to form conductivetubular electrodes 25 which extend perpendicularly to the planes of the metal layers forming thedisc electrodes 22. Thedisc electrodes 22 do not extend up to thosetubular electrodes 25 but are separated from them by smallannular gaps 26. Electrical contact is made to thedisc electrodes 22 by metallising theperipheral surface 28 of the ceramic body as shown at 30. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1a, electrical connection with thedisc electrodes 22 can be made by one or more conductive vias orpins 32 which are arranged to extend through theceramic body 20.

Such a capacitor is particularly applicable to situations where space is at a premium, for example in RFI suppression devices. In the latter case, eachtubular electrode 25 would receive a respective through wire (not shown) carrying signal information, the capacitor then acting as a multiway filter.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 comprises a discoidal body 40 of dielectric (ceramic) material having two pluralities of interleaved, mutually overlappingdisc electrodes 42a, 42b. The disc electrodes 42 terminate within the ceramic body 40, radially inwardly of itsperipheral surface 44 so as to leave respectiveannular gaps 46 between their outer peripheral edges and theperipheral surface 44 of the ceramic body. Thelatter surface 44 is provided withmetallisation 48.

One set 42c of the disc electrodes are interconnected by a metal pin or conductive via 50 extending through the ceramic body 40 and theother set 42b of disc electrodes are interconnected by a metal pin or conductive via 52. The conductive pins orvias 50, 52 can terminate in respectivemetallised areas 54a, 54b on the end faces of the ceramic body 40 to enable external electrical connection to be made thereto.

The latter arrangement for the connections to theinternal disc electrodes 42a, 42b enhances the performance of the capacitor in high humidity conditions and at high voltages (because of the wide separation of the terminations). Tubular electrodes separated from the disc electrodes as shown at 25 in FIG. 1 could also be incorporated in this embodiment to increase capacitance further.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of adiscoidal capacitor 15 in accordance with the present invention, which has a cylindricalinner termination 16 coaxially disposed within a cylindricalouter termination 17. Thecapacitor 15 further comprises layers ofannular discs 18, the inner circumferences of which are in contact with theinner termination 16. The diameters of thedisc 18 are such that narrowannular gaps 19 arise from the separation between the outer circumferences of eachdisc 18 and theouter termination 17, the outer termination extending perpendicularly with respect to thediscs 18. If theinner termination 16 is then polarised with respect to theouter termination 17, small areas of relatively high charge distribution will develop across thegaps 19. This results because the side edges of the discs have a relatively small surface area in comparison with that of theouter termination 17 to which they are exposed. This arrangement, as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 6, allows increased capacitance, independent of axial separation of the individual electrodes. For thicker walled disc electrodes, the effect can be utilised to reduce the impact of process variations and hence produce tight tolerance batches.

Claims (7)

We claim:

1. A multilayer discoidal capacitor comprising:

a plurality of laterally spaced, planar electrodes disposed within a dielectric body; and

at least one cylindrical electrode extending perpendicularly to the planar electrodes, all of said planar electrodes being separated from said at least one cylindrical electrode so that said plurality of laterally spaced, planar electrodes are configured such that the capacitance characteristic of the capacitor is determined at least in part by the concentrated charge distribution in "stray" electric fields arising at edges of the planar electrodes, wherein the capacitance characteristic of the capacitor is determined at least in part by the "stray" electric fields arising between the edges of said planar electrodes and said at least one cylindrical electrode.

2. A multilayer discoidal capacitor according to claim 1, wherein said at least one cylindrical electrode extends through the dielectric body, said planar electrodes having at least one corresponding region of discontinuity which surrounds said cylindrical electrode so that there exists between each planar electrode and the cylindrical electrode an annular separation.

3. A multilayer discoidal capacitor according to claim 2, wherein said cylindrical electrode is formed by metallising the wall of a cylindrical hole in the dielectric body.

4. A multilayer discoidal capacitor according to claim 2, wherein the outer edges of the planar electrodes extend to the peripheral edge of the dielectric body where they are electrically connected together by a metallisation area applied to said peripheral edge of the body.

5. A multilayer discoidal capacitor according to claim 2, wherein the outer edges of the planar electrodes terminate inwardly of the peripheral edge of the dielectric body and are connected together by at least one conductive pin extending through said dielectric body.

6. A multilayer discoidal capacitor according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical electrode which extends perpendicularly to said planar electrodes is located around a peripheral edge of said dielectric body, the outer peripheries of the planar electrodes terminating within the dielectric body so as to be separated from said cylindrical electrode.

7. A multilayer discoidal capacitor according to claim 6, wherein the planar electrodes are arranged in two sets of interleaved, overlapping electrodes, the electrodes in each said set being electrically interconnected by means of a respective conductive pin.

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